Chairperson, colleagues and members in the science and innovation sector,

Scientific and technological advances have long been recognized as engines of rising prosperity and economic growth. Whilst just over two years have passed since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, and we moved towards a new normal, we realized the restrictions enforced during the pandemic acted as a catalyst to drive change.

The way research was carried out mutated rapidly as a result of pressure placed on scientists brought on by the virus and its associated restrictions. In the meantime, 4IR technologies has offered the possibility of ordering food and medicine online and delivering it right at your doorstep.

Mobile technology and artificial intelligence integrated data collection tools that can be used for contact tracing, symptoms monitoring, detection of outbreaks and risk assessment. Instead of face-to-face teaching and learning, universities and schools moved online using various technological platforms such as Ikamva and Blackboard.

Researchers continue to use Webex to organize conferences and employers relied heavily on Zoom, Google Meet and Microsoft Teams for video conferencing. Many platforms for e-commerce, video conferencing, remote working and telemedicine will continue to flourish long after the pandemic comes to an end.

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